Category: Small Business
Temporary Full Expensing (TFE)…get in quick!
This could be the final opportunity for your business to take advantage of Temporary Full Expensing (TFE)…but get in before 1 July! To recap, TFE encourages and supports businesses by allowing an immediate deduction for the business portion of the cost of a depreciating asset. There is no cost threshold – the whole cost of...
Reimbursement versus Allowances
Many employers assist workers with work-related expenses by reimbursing them or paying them an allowance. Failure to do so, can sometimes result in resentment from the employee who is otherwise forced to incur the cost themselves. While they may be able to claim a deduction, this would still leave them out of pocket as a...
Fending off GST audits
The Government has welcomed the actions of an ATO-led taskforce in relation to what is termed “the biggest GST fraud in Australia’s history”. The ATO states that the fraud was first detected in early 2022 and involved offenders inventing fake businesses and ABN applications, then submitting fictitious Business Activity Statements in an attempt to gain a false GST refund....
Reducing the risk of crypto scams
ASIC has released fresh and timely information around crypto scams. Scammers use cryptocurrencies, like bitcoin or ether, because they are not easily recovered. Crypto can be sent overseas quickly with limited oversight. If you lose your money to a crypto scam, your money is likely gone. If you buy crypto, only invest what you can...
FBT exemption for electric vehicles
With car fringe benefits one of the most common benefits provided by employers to employees, a new ATO fact sheet shines more light on the FBT exemption for electric vehicles. To recap, in the October 2022 Federal Budget, the government announced that it would exempt from FBT the private use, or availability for use, of...
Trust distribution landscape now more settled
If you carry on your business affairs through a trust structure, there is now more clarity around the law on distributions following much uncertainty throughout the year. Neither the taxpayer, Mr. Springer, nor the Commissioner has appealed against the Full Federal Court decision handed down in January 2023 (Commissioner of Taxation v Guardian AIT Pty...
ATO reviewing arrangements where profits pass through an interposed company
In February, the Commissioner released Taxpayer Alert TA 2023/1: Interposition of a holding company to access company profits tax-free. In the Alert, the Commissioner says the ATO is currently reviewing arrangements where an individual accesses the profits of a private company in a tax-free form (that is, without an additional tax liability for the individual)...
PAYG instalment variations
The ATO is encouraging accountants to educate clients around varying PAYG instalments – this can potentially assist cashflow. To recap, PAYG (pay-as-you-go) instalments allow business taxpayers to make regular prepayments towards the tax on their business and investment income. This is in contrast to salary and wage earners who already make prepayments by having tax...
FBT and car logbooks
With the end of the FBT year approaching, are your car logbooks in order? The operating cost method is used by many employers to calculate their car FBT liability. This method is particularly effective where the business use of the vehicle is high. Keeping a logbook is essential to use the operating cost method. Employees...
New work from home record keeping requirements
Are you one of the five million Australians who claim work from home deductions? If so, stricter record-keeping rules may now apply. For this financial year and moving forward, there are now only two methods to calculate your work from home claim: Revised fixed rate method (with new rules applying) Actual costs method (unchanged). The...